The wait is over - Spectrasonics releases Omnisphere
Omnisphere is probably one of the most anticipated software synths ever, and now the wait is over - Spectrasonics has released it today.
Eric Persing, founder and creative director of Spectrasonics had this to say (from the Spectrasonics press release)
Omnisphere’s release is an historical moment for Spectrasonics. Omnisphere is our new flagship synthesizer, and points the way to all our future virtual instruments. After over 6 years of very intense work towards the goal of having our own in-house technology to offer our customers, Omnisphere is finally here. It really is a new beginning for the company. From this day forward all our products will be based on our own technology, the STEAM Engine for synthesis products like Omnisphere and the SAGE Engine for groove-based instruments like Stylus RMX. Customers will get the benefits of this in the years to come with regular updates and upgrades offering new sounds and new capabilities.
“STEAM? SAGE?” you might ask, to which I reply “what? you haven’t seen the video teasers that has been playing for months?”
Persing continues:
The massive core library of Omnisphere is filled with unique sampled sounds and amazing patches created by our international sound design team. The hybrid synth engine offers powerful features never offered in software or hardware such as Harmonia, Chaos Envelopes, Composite Morphing, the Flex-Mod modulation routing system, and arpeggiator Groove-Lock integration with Stylus RMX. In the end it’s all about making music, and Omnisphere was deliberately designed for all levels of musicians to create their own sound. It’s easy to use, and yet extremely powerful.
Again, check the videos for an insight in all of this. I looked through them all this morning after having missed a few. They are very well done, and besides showing much of Omnisphere they will help you read up a little on synthesizer history as well.
Below are some more details from the press release:
Omnisphere offers a host of hybrid synthesis and new control capabilities including Variable Waveshaping DSP synthesis, Granular synthesis, Timbre Shifting, FM, polyphonic Ring Modulation, high-resolution streaming Sample Playback, Harmonia(tm), Dual Multimode Filter structure, Chaos Envelopes(tm), an advanced Unison mode, and the innovative Flex-Mod(tm) modulation routing system - to name a few.
The huge core library of Omnisphere is filled with years of creative sampling experiments and thousands of inspiring patches. Spectrasonics has pioneered several brand-new types of sampling for the core library of this instrument, including unique “Psychoacoustic” sounds and soundsources created with a new Composite Morphing Technique (CMT) - which morphs the harmonic characteristics of one instrument to another. As a bonus, a section of the core library is also devoted to representing the best of Spectrasonics award-winning sample libraries. When all of these organic core library soundsources are combined with the synthesis power of the STEAM engine, the sounds become “alive” in a truly dynamic and expressive way.
Among the many unique features this new multitimbral synth offers are its flexible arpeggiators with the world’s first Groove Lock(tm) integration with Stylus RMX - allowing the arpeggiator’s pattern to instantly groove with the feel of the RMX drum loop; Live Mode for transitionless patch switching and layering, Stack Mode for powerful performance mapping; and integrated modulatable FX Racks.
Omnisphere is also the successor to Spectrasonics’ popular Atmosphere(r) instrument, and contains enhanced versions of all the classic Atmosphere sounds. However, the brand new core library in Omnisphere is 10-times the size of Atmosphere and features thousands of completely new and different sounds.
From what I’ve heard from all the demoes the sound quality seems to be pretty bad ass. I’m also impressed about the length the team seem to have gone to creating the samples (burning piano anyone?) and the huge depth Omnisphere might have. I guess now we can finally find out if it’s the biggest marketing ploy in virtual instrument history or if it truly is the soft synth to beat. Believe you me when I say I’ll let you know all about it once I get my copy.
Omnisphere is now shipping, and has an MSRP of $499 US and €379 Euro.
There is an upgrade for all Atmosphere customers, available from the online Spectrasonics’ Techshop.
Below are even more specs!
System features
• Powerfully simple interface design makes key features accessible to every user
• Advanced users can “zoom” into deeper and deeper synthesis capabilities
• Sophisticated Browser with searching, sound attributes, descriptions and images
• 8 independent Arpeggiators
• World’s first Arpeggiator with Groove Lock(tm)
- which allows the Arpeggiators to match the feel of Stylus RMX and MIDI Files
• Special performance-oriented Live Mode interface allows for seamless, interactive
creative patch switching and layering on the fly
• Stack Mode interface allows for complex patch layering, splits, and
crossfades (velocity/positional/controller)
• 8-part multitimbral with built-in Mixer, Aux FX and Mastering FX racks
• Advanced MIDI Learn and Automation parameter handling
• Comprehensive integrated Reference Guide
• Hours of free Tutorial Videos available online to registered users
Synthesis features
• Oscillators can be sample-based or synth-based
• Up to 10 oscillators per patch with new Harmonia(tm) feature
• Flex-Mod(tm) modulation system allows powerful modular-style routing
• Dual Layer architecture
• High-definition streaming engine
• Variable DSP Oscillator Waveshapes
• Sophisticated Unison Detuning
• Variable Analog Feel
• Modulatable Hard Sync
• Granular Synthesis
• Innovative Chaos Envelopes
• Polyphonic Timbre Shifting
• Polyphonic Timbre Crushing
• Polyphonic Waveshaper
• Polyphonic Ring Modulation
• Polyphonic Glide
• FM Oscillators
• Dual Filter architecture per Layer
• Create filter combinations in series or parallel
• Arrange and blend more than 17 Filter algorithms
• Fully modulatable FX racks
• Alternate tuning scales supported
• 6 full-featured LFOs per patch
• 8 Advanced Multi-breakpoint looping Envelopes per patch
• Unique Dual Envelope interface - Simple ADSR-style or Advanced Graphic-style
• Sampled soundsources can be processed with synthesis features!
Sound library
• Vast Core Library - over 40GB with thousands of sounds
• Cutting-edge sounds from the renowned Spectrasonics sound design team
• Innovative “Psychoacoustic” soundsources for organic synthesis!
• Unique multisampled “Composite Morphing(tm) soundsources
• Integrates the award-winning, original Atmosphere(r) core library
• Integrates best of Spectrasonics highly-acclaimed sample libraries
• Massive variety of inspiring sounds for all types of music production
• Searchable by sound attributes (Timbre, Genre, Mood, Tonality, Source, etc)
• Expandable sound architecture
Effects features
• Integrated, full-featured FX Racks
• Up to 12 simultaneous FX per patch
• Layer FX modulatable from any mod source
• Hundreds of FX presets included
• Over 32 original FX Processors covering the full spectrum of signal processing
What wait? How much did they pay you? Can’t see anything significant here that NI synths haven’t provided for a long time…
By mr.foo ~ September 16, 2008 kl 1:06 pm
I get like a million bucks, how much did you think?
By stiff ~ September 16, 2008 kl 1:36 pm
only used it for a small amount of time lastnight because of the god awful install procedure.over 4 hours but,this sounds amazing. i use NI excusivly for my projects. omnisphere seems like they stepped up the game.
these are my initial impressions so far with little time on it.
in protools HD3 on pc, i did expierience several crashes which forced PT’s to shut down,Annoying. also, when trying to load more than one instance protools crashes a couple of times before i could actually get 2 open at once.
opened it in reaper and it seemed to be very stable.also opened in KORE 2 with stable results.
seems like vst is working way better.
By x9blade ~ September 17, 2008 kl 4:43 pm
Wow, that seems like some nasty bugs. I think I spotted an update for it today already. Hopefully it will help you.
By stiff ~ September 18, 2008 kl 2:46 am
Hi, I found your blog on this new directory of WordPress Blogs at blackhatbootcamp.com/listofwordpressblogs. I dont know how your blog came up, must have been a typo, i duno. Anyways, I just clicked it and here I am. Your blog looks good. Have a nice day. James.
By James ~ September 18, 2008 kl 10:07 am
I’m eeeveerywheeere…
Have a nice day to you too sir.
By stiff ~ September 18, 2008 kl 1:54 pm
yes, thanks for the headsup stiff but, i actually have the updates installed.2 different updates at the time of my install.
ran in reaper a little more lastnight with way better results than with protools. yeah, i also ran vst in protools under the wrapper. seems like running this way gave better results than the rtas version. but, overall best results in reaper for me thus far.
seems like the whole rtas thing really needs help.such a pain! digi needs to overhauling the rtas engine ASAP!!!!!!!!!!! at times its pathetic
By x9blade ~ September 18, 2008 kl 3:19 pm